Target type scoring device

ABSTRACT

A target type scoring device which includes a target formed of resilient material such as a net supported by elastic members and a frame, there being a plate positioned in spaced relationship behind the target and having indicia thereon to define a scoring area on the target, there being a rotatable member carried by the plate and having markings to indicate a score as a result of the scoring area of the target being struck by an object, there being means coupling the rotatable member with the scoring area of the target so that when the target of resilient material rebounds as a result of being struck by an object the means is actuated to rotate the rotatable member and thus indicate a score.

Dec. 19, 1972 United States Patent Dixon TARGET TYPE SCORING DEVICEInventor: Jack R. Dixon, 125 North Main, Primary Examiner-Anton OechsleMiami, Okla. 74354 Dec. 3, 1970 Assistant Examiner-Theatrice BrownAttorney-Schmidt, Johnson, Hovey & Williams [22] Filed:

App]. No.2 94,764

A target type scoring device which includes 'a target [52 us.c|................i...........273/26A, 273/1021 E formed such as aSuppmed by [51 elastic members and a frame, there being a platepositioned in spaced relationship behind the target and [58] Field ofSearch............273/26 A, 102.1 C, 127 R, 102.1 E

having indicia thereon to define a scoring area on the target, therebeing a rotatable member carried by the plate and having markings toindicate a score as a [56] References C'ted result of the scoring areaof the target being struck by an object, there being means coupling therotatable UNITED STATES PATENTS member with the scoring area of thetarget so that Westgate........................ when the target ofresilient material rebounds as 21 Stewart............................result of being struck by an object the means is actuated to rotate therotatable member and thus indicate a score.

2,944,816 7/1960 Dixon....... 3,206,196 9/1965 3,427,026 2/19693,328,033 6/1967 Jackson Mahoney.. ....273/26 A X 10 Claims, 5 DrawingFigures Hendry............................

bI 'II TARGET TYPE SCORING DEVICE It is the most important object ofthis invention to provide a target type scoring device which includes atarget of resilient material, there being a plate positioned behind thetarget and having a rotatable member coupled with the target, therebeing indicia on the rotatable member whereby, as the target and, moreparticularly, a scoring area thereof rebounds, due to its resiliencyafter being struck by a thrown object, the rotatable member will beactuated to indicate that the target has been struck in the scoring areaand therefore a score achieved.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a target typescoring device particularly intended, in the embodiment chosen forillustration, to permit the user thereof to determine whether or not anobject thrown at the target has fallen within a particular scoring areasuch as, for example, a baseball strike zone, the device being of such anature that when the target is struck in the scoring area the resilienttarget, as it rebounds to its initial position, will actuate meanscoupling the target with a rotatable member which is supported by aplate positioned behind the target, the rotatable member having markingsthereon visible through a passage in the plate, whereby the user of thedevice may determine if the target has been struck in said scoring area.

Other objects of this invention include details of construction of therotatable member and the means for causing the same to rotate, thesetaking the form of a length of material having one end thereof connectedto the scoring area of the target, the other end being connected to oneend of a swingable arm, which arm has a loop formed therein which isengageable in apertures formed in the rotatable member and is urgedthereinto by a spring coupled with the axis of rotation, the arm servingto urge the rotatable member through one cycle when the scoring area ofthe target is struck to thereby expose a selected marking.

Other objects of this invention include yet further details ofconstruction which will become apparent from the following specificationand accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the target type scoring device;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the plate and rotatable memberwhich constitute the scoring unit;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the plate and rotatable memberwhich constitute the scoring unit;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, rear elevational view of the plate androtatable member showing the manner in which the member is rotated bythe arm as the resilient target rebounds; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 4.

The target type scoring device is broadly designated by the numeral andis intended to incorporate recreational apparatus of the type disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 2,944,816. Thus, there is provided a tubular frame 12of desired configuration, which frame supports a target 14 of resilientmaterial, the target constituting a net 16 and a plurality of elasticmembers 18 affixed to the periphery of the net and connecting the sameto the frame 12 whereby the net is supported in a substantially verticalplane, although it will be appreciated that the target 14 can beinclined to any desired position. The frame 12 is suitably supported bymeans of normally rearwardly extending legs 20.

A scoring unit, broadly designated by the numeral 22 is positionedbehind the target 14, the scoring unit 22 including as its majorcomponents, a plate 24 and a rotatable member 26, the rotatable member26in the embodiment chosen for illustration being circular in planconfiguration and rotating about an axis of rotation 28 disposedcentrally thereof and defined by a pin 30 which extends through plate 24and rotatable member 26 whereby to mount the member 26 on the plate 24rearwardly thereof and in position to rotate about pin 30, there being aspacer block 32 positioned between the rear face 34 of the plate 24 andthe front face 36 of rotatable member 26, the plate 24 having a frontface 38 and the rotatable member 26 having a rear face 40.

The scoring unit 22 is positioned rearwardly of the target 14 and ismaintained in said position by means of a plurality of cords coupledwith said unit 22 and the frame 12 and supporting legs 20 of target 10.Specifically, a first length of cord 42 is connected to the normallyuppermost portion of frame 12 and extends through a pair of spaced holes44 adjacent the upper edge of plate 24 and is then again attached to thenormally uppermost portion of frame 12 whereby to suspend the plate 24from the uppermost frame, all as is clearly illustrated for instance, inFIG. 1 of the drawing. In order to space the scoring unit 22 the desireddistance from the target 14, a second cord 46 is threaded through holes48 in the plate 24 and the free ends of cord 46 stretched tautly andconnected, as by suitable books 50, to the lower ends of supporting legs20. in this manner the scoring unit 22 is positioned in a generallyvertical condition rearwardly of the target 14 and a distance spacedsufficiently therefrom so that the scoring unit itself willnot be struckby an object thrown at the target 14.

The front face 38 of plate 24 is provided with suitable indicia 52 inthe form of a catchers mitt for instance in the embodiment chosen forillustration. This indicia 52 defines on target 14, a scoring area 54 ofapproximately the same size as the indicia 52, it being contemplatedthat in the embodiment of. the invention chosen for illustration, theindicia 52 will define a scoring area of approximately the size of abaseball strike zone whereby an object striking the target 14 in thescoring area 54 would be considered a strike in baseball.

The scoring unit 22 is coupled with the target 14 and, moreparticularly, scoring area 54 thereof bymeans of a length of material56, as for instance a cord, which cord is first tied to the target 14 ata point normally directly in front of the indicia 52, it being desirablethat the cord 56 be so utilized to place the plate 24 approximately 12inches behind the scoring area 54 of target 14. It will be appreciatedthat the scoring area 54 is in a general area surrounding the point ofattachment of the length of material 56 to the target 14 and coincidesapproximately with the area of indicia 52.

As described above, the scoring unit 22 is suspended behind the target Mby means of a harness consisting of cords 42 and 46 and also by means oflength of material 56 which has one end thereof secured to the target14. The other end of length of material 56 is connected to a swingablearm 58 which is carried by plate 24. Arm 58 is in the nature of a lengthof relatively rigid wire, there being a loop 60, offset in the directionof the member 26 as best seen in FIG. 5, formed intermediate the endsthereof and more nearly adjacent one end 62, said one end 62 defining aneye 64 which receives the said other end of length of material 56whereby to couple the scoring unit 22 and, more particularly, rotatablemember 26, with the target 14. The other end 66 of arm 58 extendsthrough an opening 68 formed in the plate 24 and has a loose or sloppyfit within said opening whereby topermit the am 58 to swing about saidother end 66 thereof. As is evident from FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the other end66 of arm 58 has a laterally offset stretch 70 which extends through theopening 68 and a turned end 72 which extends beyond the opening 68 andlies in parallel relationship with the surface 38 of plate 24, all tothe end that said other end 66 of the arm 58 is retained within theopening 68 for swinging movement under the urging of cord 56 which isconnected to eye 64 at the other end 62 of the arm 58.

A coil spring 74 is also connected to the eye 64 and spans the distancebetween eye 64 and the rearmost end of pivot pin 30, the other end ofspring 74 being connected to said pivot pin 30 as illustrated, forinstance, in FIG. of the drawing.

The rotatable member 26 is provided with a plurality of apertures 76,which apertures circumscribe the axis of rotation 28, said aperturesextending through the rotatable member 26. A plurality of markings 78are on the front face 36 of the rotatable member 26, there being amarking corresponding to each of the apertures 76, the markings 78 beingvisible to a user of the device by means of a passage 80 which is formedthrough the plate 24. In the embodiment chosen for illustration, themarkings are in the form of numerals zero through nine, said markingsbeing disposed circumferentially about the face 36 of rotatable member26.

As is apparent from the foregoing, the coil spring 74 urges the offsetloop 60 of arm 58 into a selected aperture 76 and retains the sametherewithin until such time as an object strikes the scoring area 54 oftarget 14. When this occurs, the coil spring 74 serves to urge the arm58 in a downward direction viewing FIGS. 3 and 4 for instance, thisurging causing the loop 60 to fall into the next succeeding aperture;that is the aperture 76 corresponding to the next following marking onthe face 36 of the rotatable member 26. As the resilient materialconstituting the target 14 rebounds from its indented condition to itsinitial planar condition, the cord 56 is pulled outwardly by virtue ofsuch rebounding action of the target 14, this pulling action serving toswing the arm 58 about its end 66 in an upward direction viewing FIG. 4for instance, whereby to rotate member 26 about its axis of rotation 28by virtue of the loop 60 now being in the next succeeding aperture,thereby moving the next succeeding marking on the face 36 of said memberinto a position behind passage 80 whereby the user of the device mayview said marking and thus determine that a score has been achieved. Itis to be noted that the loose fit of theother end 66 in the opening 68allows the arm 58 with its loop 60 to move rearwardly a slight bit asthe latter falls into the next aperture. Thus, only the point of theloop 60 is in contact with the member 26 during the time that the loop60 is falling into the next aperture, such contact normally not beingsufficient to cause undesirable rotation of the member 26 at this time.

Thus, it will be appreciated that by utilizing the above mentionedtarget type scoring device an area comparable to a baseball strike zonemay be created, this area constituting the scoring area 54 of the target14 of resilient material whereby, when the target 14 is struck by anobject thrown thereat, the rebounding ac-' tion of the target 14 willcause length of material 56 to be drawn tightand thereby swing the arm58 in the manner hereinabove described to rotate member 26 to a positionplacing the next succeeding marking 78 within the passage 80 whereby itis visible to the user of the device, thus indicating'that a score,strike or the like has been achieved. Notwithstanding the fact that theembodiment illustrated has been shown in the form of a baseball typescoring apparatus, it will be readily appreciated that this same type ofdevice may be utilized for a plurality of scoring functions and can' beplaced in various positions; various markings and in-. dicia utilized,all depending upon the specific function V for which the device is to beused.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A target type scoring device comprising:

a target formed of resilient material;

a plate positioned behind said target and having indicia thereon todefine a scoring area on said tara rotatable member carried by saidplate-and having markings thereon to indicate a score as a result of thescoring area of the target being struck by an object thrown at thetarget; and v means coupling said rotatable member with said scoringarea of the target to rotate said member and thereby indicate a score asa-result of the scoring area of the target being struck by an object.

2.-A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 1, said meanscoupling the rotatable member with the scoring area being actuated torotate the member as the target of resilient material rebounds as aresult of being struck by an object thrown at the target.

3. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 2, there being apassage through said plate to selectively expose to the user of thedevice individual markings on said rotatable member, said markingsindicating the score achieved.

4. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 3, said couplingmeans including a length of material having one end thereof connected tothe scoring area of the target; and a swingable arm for rotating saidmember, the other end of said length of material being connected to saidarm.

5. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 4, there being aplurality of apertures formed in said member, said arm having a loopthereon, said loop being selectively engageable with said apertures torotate said member about an axis of rotation. 4

6. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 5, there being anaperture in said member corresponding to each of the markings thereon.

7.A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 6, there being aspring coupling one end of said arm with said axis of rotation, theother end of said arm being received within an opening formed in saidplate, said spring urging the loop on said arm into said aperture.

l060ll 0143 6 8. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 7,ing in the plate being a loose fit. said length of material and saidspring being connected 10. A target type scoring device as set forth inclaim to said arm at said ne d th f, id am b i 9, the rotatable memberbeing circular, the apertures swingable about said other end th f,circumscribing said axis of rotation, the markings cir- 9. A target typescoring device as set forth in claim 8, cumscribing Said aperturesthefit between said other end of the arm and the open- 2163 l060ll 0144

1. A target type scoring device comprising: a target formed of resilientmaterial; a plate positioned behind said target and having indiciathereon to define a scoring area on said target; a rotatable membercarried by said plate and having markings thereon to indicate a score asa result of the scoring area of the target being struck by an objectthrown at the target; and means coupling said rotatable member with saidscoring area of the target to rotate said member and thereby indicate ascore as a result of the scoring area of the target being struck by anobject.
 2. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 1, saidmeans coupling the rotatable member with the scoring area being actuatedto rotate the member as the target of resilient material rebounds as aresult of being struck by an object thrown at the target.
 3. A targettype scoring device as set forth in claim 2, there being a passagethrough said plate to selectively expose to the user of the deviceindividual markings on said rotatable member, said markings indicatingthe score achieved.
 4. A target type scoring device as set forth inclaim 3, said coupling means including a length of material having oneend thereof connected to the scoring area of the target; and a swingablearm for rotating said member, the other end of said length of materialbeing connected to said arm.
 5. A target type scoring device as setforth in claim 4, there being a plurality of apertures formed in saidmember, said arm having a loop thereon, said loop being selectivelyengageable with said apertures to rotate said member about an axis ofrotation.
 6. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 5, therebeing an aperture in said member corresponding to each of the markingsthereon.
 7. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 6, therebeing a spring coupling one end of said arm with said axis of rotation,the other end of said arm being received within an opening formed insaid plate, said spring urging the loop on said arm into said aperture.8. A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 7, said length ofmaterial and said spring being connected to said arm at said one endthereof, said arm being swingable about said other end thereof.
 9. Atarget type scoring device as set forth in claim 8, the fit between saidother end of the arm and the opening in the plate being a loose fit. 10.A target type scoring device as set forth in claim 9, the rotatablemember being circular, the apertures circumscribing said axis ofrotation, the markings circumscribing said apertures.